Kansas State University Athletics
Nowell, Massoud Discuss Pathway to K-State, Upcoming Season
Oct 21, 2021 | Men's Basketball
The Harlem natives both enter their first seasons in 2021-22
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Two of Kansas State's newcomers – junior Markquis Nowell and sophomore Ismael Massoud – met with area media on Thursday morning (October 21) via Zoom to discuss their pathways to K-State and an update on preparations for the upcoming 2021-22 men's basketball season.
A 5-foot-8, 160-pound combo guard from Harlem, N.Y., Nowell transferred to K-State from Little Rock in April and will have two seasons of eligibility remaining starting this season. He is closing in 1,000 career points, needing just 35 to eclipse the milestone, while converting on 39.5 percent from the field, including 36.9 percent from 3-point range in 67 career games. He has 48 career double-digit scoring games, including 17 games of 20 or more points.
Massoud, a 6-foot-9, 210-pound forward from East Harlem, N.Y., also transferred to K-State in April from Wake Forest and will have three more seasons of eligibility. The former consensus Top 150 recruit saw action in all 53 career games as a Demon Deacon, averaging 8.3 points per game in 2021-22.
Along with Nowell and Massoud, the Wildcats added seven newcomers in the offseason, including Mark Smith (Missouri) and freshmen Maximus Edwards and Logan Landers.
K-State returns four of its top-5 scorers, including McGuirl and rising sophomores Davion Bradford, Selton Miguel and Nijel Pack. In all, the Wildcats return nine lettermen, including juniors Kaosi Ezeagu and Carlton Linguard, Jr., and sophomores Luke Kasubke and Seryee Lewis. Lewis will miss the upcoming season due to injury.
Season tickets are currently on sale with the Wildcats slated to play 18 games at Bramlage Coliseum, beginning with an exhibition game against Pittsburg State on Thursday, November 4. The official opener is set for Wednesday, November 10 against Florida A&M.
Fans can purchase season tickets in a variety of ways, including toll free at (800) 221.CATS (2287) and online at www.kstatesports.com/tickets.
Below is a transcript of the media availability.
Junior Markquis Nowell
On the adjustment from Little Rock to K-State...
"The biggest difference was just adjusting to new teammates and new coaching staff and a new atmosphere. That's really the only adjustment I already had. It's been a great adjustment, though. It's not a negative adjustment. It's a great adjustment being with new guys on a higher level."
On which players has impressed him the most...
"I feel like all the guys. Everybody has found what they are capable of on a day-to-day basis. But if I had to choose one it would be Ismael (Massoud), Mike (McGuirl) and Selton (Miguel). Everybody has improved in their own way whether it's maturity, the skill development, the leadership. So, it's a great group of guys this year that I'm happy to work with."
On improving his range...
"I learned to shoot that far when I was a kid. I used to do drills where I had to make 25 in a row from deep. Just me and my father (Marcus Nowell, Sr.) just playing in a playground in New York City is working on your game and you always know that shooting is a big part of basketball, and if you're able to shoot, you could pretty much play anywhere. So that just led me to working on deep range shots, logo shots at a consistent rate. I shoot a lot of shots a day, probably 500 to close to 1,000 some days, so I'm really confident when I shoot them shots. It's momentum changing when in the game and you know you probably down to when you shoot that type of shot, it changes the whole dynamic of the game, so I just really work on those types of shots throughout the day."
On if coach approves of his shot selection...
"He learns to be okay with it because he's seen me working on my game, so if there's something that I'm doing in the game, nine times out of 10 or 10 times out of 10 I'm working multiple times, day in, day out, so when I'm hitting at a consistent rate when you see me working out, and you see that I'm capable of shooting it on a regular basis, there's not much of a surprise to you that it would be somebody watching in the stands. So, he learned to just let me shoot one or two of those in the game."
On the differences between Manhattan, N.Y. and Manhattan, Kansas...
"Pretty much different. One is quieter and slower paced. The one is pretty rowdy and fast paced, but it's been great in the Little Apple, a great atmosphere, friendly, and family oriented, so it's been great so far and I'm loving it here. I'm loving the people at K-State. I'm loving the Little Apple."
On what area of New York City he played in...
"I played in pretty much every park you could think of. Rucker Park, Dyckman, Tri-State. Growing up, when I was with my father and I was about third grade, we used to go park to park and walk around with a basketball going in different parts and working out for about one to two hours. So, I pretty much played in every park in Harlem, New York that you could think of, but the most fun I've ever had was probably in Dyckman Park."
On some of the guys he played against...
"I played against a lot of people, like Isaiah Whitehead, Isaiah Briscoe. League guys like Lance Stephenson, Naz Reid. I balled against a lot of good competition in my day, so it's been a lot of pros that I've seen and there's been a lot of DI talent bouncing around."
On the connection with Shane Southwell...
"He's from New York. He's a New York native man. In the gym actually, I was working out. We just chopping up and talking about basketball, and I ended up going to his house and playing 2K, not knowing that, years down the line, you will be recruiting me, so it was just a friendly basketball competition that we were playing and it just grew to a long-term relationship."
On when he played 2K at Shane Southwell's house...
"You take me back, I don't know. I was probably like 10 or 11. Probably younger, but it was around that age."
On the recruiting process...
"So, my recruiting process. It was a short journey because I entered the transfer portal. I heard from a couple schools, but the one that stood out to me was obviously K-State and (assistant coach) Shane (Southwell) was telling me how good we were going to be this year. And he was like, 'Let's jump on Zoom'. So, we jumped on Zoom. I wasn't able to meet in person because COVID and stuff like that, so we jumped on a Zoom call. He had all the coaches on there, including the athletic trainer, assistant coaches, you name it. They had everybody on a Zoom call, and he was just telling me that this is going to be a special year and this is a special program. And once we jumped on the Zoom call and talked about where their mindset was for this year, it was a no-brainer to commit."
On Shane Southwell...
"He is a mastermind when it comes to basketball. He's getting older but he's like one of us. He's a younger coach, and his intelligence for the game, his IQ for the game is unbelievable. When you have him as a young coach and you have Coach Bruce (Weber) as an older coach, it all fits and gels so perfectly."
On the offensive potential for this team...
"I feel like I bring a different level and a different dynamic to this team. I could create my own shot from pretty much inside of half court, but I love passing. That's an underrated skill I have. I have a high basketball IQ so when I'm around the good players, I know how to play with them. Nijel Pack, Mike McGuirl, Selton (Miguel). I'm going to have a lot of assists to those guys because not only do I know how to shoot but I also know how to get my teammates involved. So, when we play together, there's going to be a lot of threes, there's going to be defense, we're going to take pride on the defense this year and we're just gonna be energetic. When you all see us play this year, you're going to feel us, you're gonna feel the energy, and you're gonna love what we have this year."
On if the defensive philosophy has been hard to adjust to...
"Not really, it's been a couple things that I had to adjust because of my last school but, defense is pretty much the same thing, same principle and shell. Once you understand shell and you know how the shell drill works, you pretty much got it."
On his strength...
"I try to go hard going to offseason with benching, squatting, and stuff like that because when season rolls around, you can't squat and bench heavy so I could squat down a good amount, probably 315 or 325. I could bench 225 dumbbell press I could get up to about 95-100 in that range. So yeah, I've been going crazy ever since I came to
K-State. Something in the food."
On the strength & conditioning program and diet at K-State...
"I love AJ (Kloss). He's our strength and conditioning coach. Not only does he know what he's doing, but he also is open to hearing from the players and I think that's big for strength and conditioning coaches if you want to get to the next level. AJ has been training us good throughout the summer. Going into the season now, and each one of us felt a big jump in our games and conditioning and strength in my case so I feel like he knows what he's talking about. The guys can trust him, and we really enjoy having AJ."
On his relationship with his father...
"My relationship with my dad is pretty good. He put the ball in my hands when I was younger, and that's when I grew a love and passion for the game. He taught me how to shoot. My dad wasn't even a shooter back then in his days. He grew up playing in Rucker Park in his era where he got the name 'Tasmanian Devil' because he used to do a lot of spin moves and dribble moves. So, that's where I got some of my handles from, but from him not being able to shoot, he transferred that knowledge and he made me become more of a shooter than a ball handler. So, me and my dad is a great relationship. He has taught me pretty much everything I know today and it's a special relationship."
On being underestimated because of his size...
"I love when people underestimate me. I love when people see my size and be like, 'he can't do this or that'. It gives me a flame in my heart and a chip on my shoulder that will never beat me because when I was on the court, the opponents always feel like they got an advantage because they're taller. So, being an underdog is like a blessing and I love it. I love being short. I don't ever ask God, 'can I be 6 foot?' I am what I am so I just love being 5'7", because when I come out and perform at high levels, it's no excuse."
On the move from New York to Little Rock...
"I ended up in Little Rock because the assistant coach at Little Rock (Alfred Jordan) was from Harlem, New York, so that connection and he grew up watching me play and he knew that I had something unique and wanted me to be on his team. So that connection of me and Coach Jordan at Morehouse College in Georgia. He was the start of Markquis Nowell. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be at K-State. I wouldn't be at Little Rock, and I'd probably be back in New York. If it wasn't for him recruiting me, I don't know really where I'd be, because my senior year in high school I had zero offers. I got injured. Zero offers, and I didn't know if I was gonna play basketball again. So, you know, I just grinded it out. I just stayed my course and ran my marathon. I never questioned God, and things work in mysterious ways. I got a call from Coach Jordan, and he was like, 'I want you on my team. I feel like I could put the ball in your hands, and you can make this team special'. The first year I got there my freshman year, I showed glimpses of how special I was and how I could do on a college level, and then sophomore year, I broke out. I became Lou Henson All-American and that's when I knew that God has bigger plans for me so thanks to Coach Jordan at Morehouse for recruiting me, and the rest is history."
On Ismael Massoud...
"I know on paper he might be a forward, but that guy can shoot the ball from anywhere. His skill level is amazing I know he's from New York too. He's a New York native so he has that dog in him, but he loves the game. He is the first in the gym, last in the gym, just like everybody like Mike (McGuirl) and Selton (Miguel), and his skill level is so unique, because he's about 6'8", he can handle the ball, he can shoot off the dribble, so he's gonna bring a different look to our team when we want to play three to four guards at a time. And he reminds me of Dean Wade that was here. I know that's a big compliment but yeah, he has shown some glimpses of Dean."
On Mark Smith...
"He's a senior leader. Probably one of the best I've ever been around. He can shoot, is very aggressive. He has a good physique, strong, can put the ball on the floor, can play defense, and he's another person that's always in the gym, showing up in the morning, staying after practice shooting no matter if it's three to four hours of practice. So, Mark is another good player that we have on our team that's really going to break out this year."
On his role at Little Rock...
"At Little Rock, I had to play on the ball most of the time to initiate the offense, and I was a good playmaker. So, the ball was in my hands 95 percent of the time, but I knew how to play off the ball. I played with multiple DI athletes and pros, where you can't just pound the ball the whole game. You have to play off the ball a little."
On the potential of playing together with Nijel Pack...
"Sure, we will definitely play some together. Nijel can shoot the ball. I can shoot the ball so whenever one of us decided to bring up the ball, the other one has to play off it. It's not a huge adjustment to play off the ball. I think most of my teammates like playing off the ball majority of the time so they could get pin downs and stuff like that but it's pretty much an easy adjustment for the both of us because at the end of the day we want to win. If that's what winning takes, that's what we're going to have to do."
On comparisons with Nijel Pack...
"Nijel can shoot the ball. I knew I could shoot the ball but Nijel, he's a great shooter. He does it so effortlessly, and he's a workaholic, just like everybody on this team. Coach Bruce (Weber) has been encouraging him to be a better leader, because he likes to whisper. He doesn't like to really talk as much, but I've seen him jump from this summer to now in becoming a better leader, becoming a better scorer, becoming a better point guard. So, I feel like our games are complementing each other in so many ways, because we will have two great leaders and two great scorers on the court at the same time or even when I'm out or he's out there, there will always be somebody to shoot the ball, someone that you can trust."
On his defense...
"I take pride in defense. Offense sells tickets, defense wins championships, and I've always been a firm believer in that. I feel like being my size, I can't wait till the opponent gets to half court, so I have to put pressure on them in a full court, wasting time so that when they come over half court, they only have about 15-16 seconds to run their set. So, that dog just comes from being from New York, not being picked a lot, so I had to show my teammates that I could do other things than just scoring."
On if he played with Massoud before...
"We played in a couple tournaments together in Rucker Park and Dyckman. So, we already had chemistry and our love for one another. But when me and Ish play together, it gels so perfectly, because I know where he's going to be because of our history together."
On his reaction to Massoud joining him at K-State...
"I was happy. I got my brother here with me, another New York native and he wants to win just as bad as me. So just having him alongside me, there's nothing more I can really ask for. Being at Kansas State with the coaching staff and Coach Bruce (Weber). I really want to emphasize that Coach Bruce (Weber) is really a great coach. And not only does he want to win, but he teaches his players how to become better people. And that's one thing I really liked."
On crossing paths with Deuce Vaughn...
"Definitely, I see Deuce walking to class or to PT and pretty much at the same height, and just seeing what he's able to do on the football field, it's inspirational in a sense because no matter where you go, no matter who you are, no matter what size you are, you can play at any level if you believe it. He's a cool guy. I see him around a lot, and we need pull up bars and we need to stretch a little bit to get to six foot."
Sophomore Ismael Massoud
On the biggest transition from Wake Forest to K-State…
"For me, I felt like, you know, it wasn't too much of a super big transition, other than, you know, being much further from home, but you know my teammates, because the staff did a great job of bringing me along and helping me with the transition. Nothing has been really, really too tough, around, I love the campus, I love everything about Kansas State, so nothing has been too tough."
On how he fits in with the roster…
"Right now, I will play some three and some four, but you know we have great guards. I feel like I fit in right in between there in between that big wing that combo forward area."
On playing alongside Davion Bradford…
"You know, he takes up so much space and he requires so much attention. Just because he has a presence down there, whether it's rebounding, blocking shots, or just dunking on them. We also got Kaosi (Ezeagu), so both of them do a great job of just demanding the defense's attention so it makes my job a lot easier."
On the versatility of the lineup…
"I'm super excited because we have great guards like Nijel (Pack), Mike (McGuirl), Markquis (Nowell) and Mark (Smith) along with our bigs. It just makes my job that much easier where now I can help make their job easier as well because of my shooting ability and in my also ability to make plays. And you know, being able to guard at my position. At Wake Forest, I got away from that, so it's something I'm really excited to get back to."
On playing with Markquis Nowell again…
"It's crazy because you know, I knew Markquis since probably like, like 2015 and we were never like super, super close, but we always knew each other, and we played with each other, and we played against each other. (Recently) he actually sent me a picture it was our sophomore year and it's him shooting. And if you look into the stands, I'm sitting right there in the stands watching him play live together now so it is crazy the things he's able to do on the court, making big shots."
On his path to K-State…
"When I decided to enter the transfer portal, K-State was one of the first schools to call me and throughout the whole process they were just consistent and basically just telling me like, they needed someone like me and how they really wanted me and that I'm their guy. You know, that was something that I really appreciated how consistent they were about the whole process and how they were with me from the start (of the process). Having Coach Shane (Southwell) be from New York that that was major to as well and having that connection with him.
On if he knew assistant coach Shane Southwell before he recruited him to K-State…
"Nah, I didn't know Coach Shane (Southwell) before I came to K-State. I knew people that knew him, but I didn't know him personally."
On the differences between New York and Kansas…
"There's nothing like New York City but you know I love Manhattan in the sense that it's a smaller city where you know you got campus got the facilities, Aggieville and a lot of a lot of food places. I'm pretty simple, I just need a place to sleep, place the hoop, a place to eat, so I got three things here so I couldn't be happier."
On if he played in the parks in New York City…
"That's where I grew up. No, I didn't really know anything about college basketball. For me, it was the NBA, and all that stuff was going on at the parks and who bought the people from my neighborhood. So, you know, that's kind of where my game grew up. Where I really put in the most work is in the park spot where I used to live."
On which park was his favorite…
"I used to live on the east side and park on 96th Street and Lexington and that's the park I used to going every day I'll be there from sunup to sundown and I'll just be there hoping all day so shout out to Lexington Park."
On the learning curve to the philosophy of this team…
"I mean, of course, you know, coming from a different system and having two different head coaches in my first two years in college was going to definitely be a learning curve. I consider myself someone that's able to pick up things pretty quickly and having teammates who were here last year, and the coaching staff did a great job in summer of bringing me along, whether it was watching film or just teaching me how he wanted me to play defense and how our offense works. I feel like I'm pretty up to speed on everything right now."
On his comfort level with the guards…
"We have a great system in place where I can get easy looks and the guards make it super easy for me. I don't even have to think about trying to create for myself unless it's the end of the shot clock or something like that. At the same time, I make their job super easy because of my shooting ability whether I'm setting the screen for them. Defenders have to decide if they're going to switch, they're going to stay with the guard, they're going to come at me and if they do, we have bigs down low like Davion (Bradford) and Kaosi (Ezeagu) that can score. It just makes everyone's job easier on each other and it's just super smooth."
On the importance of the mid-range game…
"I'm someone that is known for being able to shoot threes, but I feel like my offensive game is much more versatile. I have to be able to show that side of my game because people on the scout report are going to be flying at me (from the 3-point line) so I have to be able to get to my spots whether it's making the extra pass or seeing the posts. My mid-range (game) is something that should be my bread and butter."
On when he found basketball…
"It's funny because my mom (who starred at Houston and played professionally) wasn't even the one that introduced me to basketball. I used to skateboard for the longest and then when I was about 10 or 11 years old, I started to see everybody playing basketball and that's when I started to get interested. My dad started really helping me and he was like you know if you're gonna play you got to take this serious and he was kind of the one that really taught me the game at an early age."
On his dad's background and influence on his basketball…
"My dad played in high school, but he was injured a lot (in high school). He's always someone that was around the game and watched the game and he's pretty good he actually got a lot better when he was in college. I give all the credit in the world to my dad because you know he was the one that taught me. He told me I can't just be going to the park just playing I actually got to work on my game and he's the one I give all the credit to for my jump shot. I think it was like the summer going into sixth grade that I wasn't allowed to play any games all I could do was to go to the park, and I just have to shoot form shots all day. I wasn't allowed to leave the paint just form shots after form shots. Without my dad I definitely wouldn't have the jump shot that I have today."
On when he came to the United States…
"I didn't live in Spain for too long. I probably was there like a month or two. And then, I lived in Houston for like my first six years and then when I was like six, I moved to New York."
On who is the better athlete between him and his brother Sofian (who is a quarterback at Houston)…
"We always would compete (when we were younger). We don't do it as much anymore, but when we were younger, we'd always be like I'm better athlete than you. He always would think, you know football is a lot harder if you don't play football and you're not going to go at a football player. (But he knows that) I'll cook him in basketball. He knows like it's not even a question (laughter), but definitely if we're in the weight room or something we might talk about who lifts heavier."
How to follow the 'Cats: For complete information on K-State men's basketball, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
A 5-foot-8, 160-pound combo guard from Harlem, N.Y., Nowell transferred to K-State from Little Rock in April and will have two seasons of eligibility remaining starting this season. He is closing in 1,000 career points, needing just 35 to eclipse the milestone, while converting on 39.5 percent from the field, including 36.9 percent from 3-point range in 67 career games. He has 48 career double-digit scoring games, including 17 games of 20 or more points.
Massoud, a 6-foot-9, 210-pound forward from East Harlem, N.Y., also transferred to K-State in April from Wake Forest and will have three more seasons of eligibility. The former consensus Top 150 recruit saw action in all 53 career games as a Demon Deacon, averaging 8.3 points per game in 2021-22.
Along with Nowell and Massoud, the Wildcats added seven newcomers in the offseason, including Mark Smith (Missouri) and freshmen Maximus Edwards and Logan Landers.
K-State returns four of its top-5 scorers, including McGuirl and rising sophomores Davion Bradford, Selton Miguel and Nijel Pack. In all, the Wildcats return nine lettermen, including juniors Kaosi Ezeagu and Carlton Linguard, Jr., and sophomores Luke Kasubke and Seryee Lewis. Lewis will miss the upcoming season due to injury.
Season tickets are currently on sale with the Wildcats slated to play 18 games at Bramlage Coliseum, beginning with an exhibition game against Pittsburg State on Thursday, November 4. The official opener is set for Wednesday, November 10 against Florida A&M.
Fans can purchase season tickets in a variety of ways, including toll free at (800) 221.CATS (2287) and online at www.kstatesports.com/tickets.
Below is a transcript of the media availability.
Junior Markquis Nowell
On the adjustment from Little Rock to K-State...
"The biggest difference was just adjusting to new teammates and new coaching staff and a new atmosphere. That's really the only adjustment I already had. It's been a great adjustment, though. It's not a negative adjustment. It's a great adjustment being with new guys on a higher level."
On which players has impressed him the most...
"I feel like all the guys. Everybody has found what they are capable of on a day-to-day basis. But if I had to choose one it would be Ismael (Massoud), Mike (McGuirl) and Selton (Miguel). Everybody has improved in their own way whether it's maturity, the skill development, the leadership. So, it's a great group of guys this year that I'm happy to work with."
On improving his range...
"I learned to shoot that far when I was a kid. I used to do drills where I had to make 25 in a row from deep. Just me and my father (Marcus Nowell, Sr.) just playing in a playground in New York City is working on your game and you always know that shooting is a big part of basketball, and if you're able to shoot, you could pretty much play anywhere. So that just led me to working on deep range shots, logo shots at a consistent rate. I shoot a lot of shots a day, probably 500 to close to 1,000 some days, so I'm really confident when I shoot them shots. It's momentum changing when in the game and you know you probably down to when you shoot that type of shot, it changes the whole dynamic of the game, so I just really work on those types of shots throughout the day."
On if coach approves of his shot selection...
"He learns to be okay with it because he's seen me working on my game, so if there's something that I'm doing in the game, nine times out of 10 or 10 times out of 10 I'm working multiple times, day in, day out, so when I'm hitting at a consistent rate when you see me working out, and you see that I'm capable of shooting it on a regular basis, there's not much of a surprise to you that it would be somebody watching in the stands. So, he learned to just let me shoot one or two of those in the game."
On the differences between Manhattan, N.Y. and Manhattan, Kansas...
"Pretty much different. One is quieter and slower paced. The one is pretty rowdy and fast paced, but it's been great in the Little Apple, a great atmosphere, friendly, and family oriented, so it's been great so far and I'm loving it here. I'm loving the people at K-State. I'm loving the Little Apple."
On what area of New York City he played in...
"I played in pretty much every park you could think of. Rucker Park, Dyckman, Tri-State. Growing up, when I was with my father and I was about third grade, we used to go park to park and walk around with a basketball going in different parts and working out for about one to two hours. So, I pretty much played in every park in Harlem, New York that you could think of, but the most fun I've ever had was probably in Dyckman Park."
On some of the guys he played against...
"I played against a lot of people, like Isaiah Whitehead, Isaiah Briscoe. League guys like Lance Stephenson, Naz Reid. I balled against a lot of good competition in my day, so it's been a lot of pros that I've seen and there's been a lot of DI talent bouncing around."
On the connection with Shane Southwell...
"He's from New York. He's a New York native man. In the gym actually, I was working out. We just chopping up and talking about basketball, and I ended up going to his house and playing 2K, not knowing that, years down the line, you will be recruiting me, so it was just a friendly basketball competition that we were playing and it just grew to a long-term relationship."
On when he played 2K at Shane Southwell's house...
"You take me back, I don't know. I was probably like 10 or 11. Probably younger, but it was around that age."
On the recruiting process...
"So, my recruiting process. It was a short journey because I entered the transfer portal. I heard from a couple schools, but the one that stood out to me was obviously K-State and (assistant coach) Shane (Southwell) was telling me how good we were going to be this year. And he was like, 'Let's jump on Zoom'. So, we jumped on Zoom. I wasn't able to meet in person because COVID and stuff like that, so we jumped on a Zoom call. He had all the coaches on there, including the athletic trainer, assistant coaches, you name it. They had everybody on a Zoom call, and he was just telling me that this is going to be a special year and this is a special program. And once we jumped on the Zoom call and talked about where their mindset was for this year, it was a no-brainer to commit."
On Shane Southwell...
"He is a mastermind when it comes to basketball. He's getting older but he's like one of us. He's a younger coach, and his intelligence for the game, his IQ for the game is unbelievable. When you have him as a young coach and you have Coach Bruce (Weber) as an older coach, it all fits and gels so perfectly."
On the offensive potential for this team...
"I feel like I bring a different level and a different dynamic to this team. I could create my own shot from pretty much inside of half court, but I love passing. That's an underrated skill I have. I have a high basketball IQ so when I'm around the good players, I know how to play with them. Nijel Pack, Mike McGuirl, Selton (Miguel). I'm going to have a lot of assists to those guys because not only do I know how to shoot but I also know how to get my teammates involved. So, when we play together, there's going to be a lot of threes, there's going to be defense, we're going to take pride on the defense this year and we're just gonna be energetic. When you all see us play this year, you're going to feel us, you're gonna feel the energy, and you're gonna love what we have this year."
On if the defensive philosophy has been hard to adjust to...
"Not really, it's been a couple things that I had to adjust because of my last school but, defense is pretty much the same thing, same principle and shell. Once you understand shell and you know how the shell drill works, you pretty much got it."
On his strength...
"I try to go hard going to offseason with benching, squatting, and stuff like that because when season rolls around, you can't squat and bench heavy so I could squat down a good amount, probably 315 or 325. I could bench 225 dumbbell press I could get up to about 95-100 in that range. So yeah, I've been going crazy ever since I came to
K-State. Something in the food."
On the strength & conditioning program and diet at K-State...
"I love AJ (Kloss). He's our strength and conditioning coach. Not only does he know what he's doing, but he also is open to hearing from the players and I think that's big for strength and conditioning coaches if you want to get to the next level. AJ has been training us good throughout the summer. Going into the season now, and each one of us felt a big jump in our games and conditioning and strength in my case so I feel like he knows what he's talking about. The guys can trust him, and we really enjoy having AJ."
On his relationship with his father...
"My relationship with my dad is pretty good. He put the ball in my hands when I was younger, and that's when I grew a love and passion for the game. He taught me how to shoot. My dad wasn't even a shooter back then in his days. He grew up playing in Rucker Park in his era where he got the name 'Tasmanian Devil' because he used to do a lot of spin moves and dribble moves. So, that's where I got some of my handles from, but from him not being able to shoot, he transferred that knowledge and he made me become more of a shooter than a ball handler. So, me and my dad is a great relationship. He has taught me pretty much everything I know today and it's a special relationship."
On being underestimated because of his size...
"I love when people underestimate me. I love when people see my size and be like, 'he can't do this or that'. It gives me a flame in my heart and a chip on my shoulder that will never beat me because when I was on the court, the opponents always feel like they got an advantage because they're taller. So, being an underdog is like a blessing and I love it. I love being short. I don't ever ask God, 'can I be 6 foot?' I am what I am so I just love being 5'7", because when I come out and perform at high levels, it's no excuse."
On the move from New York to Little Rock...
"I ended up in Little Rock because the assistant coach at Little Rock (Alfred Jordan) was from Harlem, New York, so that connection and he grew up watching me play and he knew that I had something unique and wanted me to be on his team. So that connection of me and Coach Jordan at Morehouse College in Georgia. He was the start of Markquis Nowell. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be at K-State. I wouldn't be at Little Rock, and I'd probably be back in New York. If it wasn't for him recruiting me, I don't know really where I'd be, because my senior year in high school I had zero offers. I got injured. Zero offers, and I didn't know if I was gonna play basketball again. So, you know, I just grinded it out. I just stayed my course and ran my marathon. I never questioned God, and things work in mysterious ways. I got a call from Coach Jordan, and he was like, 'I want you on my team. I feel like I could put the ball in your hands, and you can make this team special'. The first year I got there my freshman year, I showed glimpses of how special I was and how I could do on a college level, and then sophomore year, I broke out. I became Lou Henson All-American and that's when I knew that God has bigger plans for me so thanks to Coach Jordan at Morehouse for recruiting me, and the rest is history."
On Ismael Massoud...
"I know on paper he might be a forward, but that guy can shoot the ball from anywhere. His skill level is amazing I know he's from New York too. He's a New York native so he has that dog in him, but he loves the game. He is the first in the gym, last in the gym, just like everybody like Mike (McGuirl) and Selton (Miguel), and his skill level is so unique, because he's about 6'8", he can handle the ball, he can shoot off the dribble, so he's gonna bring a different look to our team when we want to play three to four guards at a time. And he reminds me of Dean Wade that was here. I know that's a big compliment but yeah, he has shown some glimpses of Dean."
On Mark Smith...
"He's a senior leader. Probably one of the best I've ever been around. He can shoot, is very aggressive. He has a good physique, strong, can put the ball on the floor, can play defense, and he's another person that's always in the gym, showing up in the morning, staying after practice shooting no matter if it's three to four hours of practice. So, Mark is another good player that we have on our team that's really going to break out this year."
On his role at Little Rock...
"At Little Rock, I had to play on the ball most of the time to initiate the offense, and I was a good playmaker. So, the ball was in my hands 95 percent of the time, but I knew how to play off the ball. I played with multiple DI athletes and pros, where you can't just pound the ball the whole game. You have to play off the ball a little."
On the potential of playing together with Nijel Pack...
"Sure, we will definitely play some together. Nijel can shoot the ball. I can shoot the ball so whenever one of us decided to bring up the ball, the other one has to play off it. It's not a huge adjustment to play off the ball. I think most of my teammates like playing off the ball majority of the time so they could get pin downs and stuff like that but it's pretty much an easy adjustment for the both of us because at the end of the day we want to win. If that's what winning takes, that's what we're going to have to do."
On comparisons with Nijel Pack...
"Nijel can shoot the ball. I knew I could shoot the ball but Nijel, he's a great shooter. He does it so effortlessly, and he's a workaholic, just like everybody on this team. Coach Bruce (Weber) has been encouraging him to be a better leader, because he likes to whisper. He doesn't like to really talk as much, but I've seen him jump from this summer to now in becoming a better leader, becoming a better scorer, becoming a better point guard. So, I feel like our games are complementing each other in so many ways, because we will have two great leaders and two great scorers on the court at the same time or even when I'm out or he's out there, there will always be somebody to shoot the ball, someone that you can trust."
On his defense...
"I take pride in defense. Offense sells tickets, defense wins championships, and I've always been a firm believer in that. I feel like being my size, I can't wait till the opponent gets to half court, so I have to put pressure on them in a full court, wasting time so that when they come over half court, they only have about 15-16 seconds to run their set. So, that dog just comes from being from New York, not being picked a lot, so I had to show my teammates that I could do other things than just scoring."
On if he played with Massoud before...
"We played in a couple tournaments together in Rucker Park and Dyckman. So, we already had chemistry and our love for one another. But when me and Ish play together, it gels so perfectly, because I know where he's going to be because of our history together."
On his reaction to Massoud joining him at K-State...
"I was happy. I got my brother here with me, another New York native and he wants to win just as bad as me. So just having him alongside me, there's nothing more I can really ask for. Being at Kansas State with the coaching staff and Coach Bruce (Weber). I really want to emphasize that Coach Bruce (Weber) is really a great coach. And not only does he want to win, but he teaches his players how to become better people. And that's one thing I really liked."
On crossing paths with Deuce Vaughn...
"Definitely, I see Deuce walking to class or to PT and pretty much at the same height, and just seeing what he's able to do on the football field, it's inspirational in a sense because no matter where you go, no matter who you are, no matter what size you are, you can play at any level if you believe it. He's a cool guy. I see him around a lot, and we need pull up bars and we need to stretch a little bit to get to six foot."
Sophomore Ismael Massoud
On the biggest transition from Wake Forest to K-State…
"For me, I felt like, you know, it wasn't too much of a super big transition, other than, you know, being much further from home, but you know my teammates, because the staff did a great job of bringing me along and helping me with the transition. Nothing has been really, really too tough, around, I love the campus, I love everything about Kansas State, so nothing has been too tough."
On how he fits in with the roster…
"Right now, I will play some three and some four, but you know we have great guards. I feel like I fit in right in between there in between that big wing that combo forward area."
On playing alongside Davion Bradford…
"You know, he takes up so much space and he requires so much attention. Just because he has a presence down there, whether it's rebounding, blocking shots, or just dunking on them. We also got Kaosi (Ezeagu), so both of them do a great job of just demanding the defense's attention so it makes my job a lot easier."
On the versatility of the lineup…
"I'm super excited because we have great guards like Nijel (Pack), Mike (McGuirl), Markquis (Nowell) and Mark (Smith) along with our bigs. It just makes my job that much easier where now I can help make their job easier as well because of my shooting ability and in my also ability to make plays. And you know, being able to guard at my position. At Wake Forest, I got away from that, so it's something I'm really excited to get back to."
On playing with Markquis Nowell again…
"It's crazy because you know, I knew Markquis since probably like, like 2015 and we were never like super, super close, but we always knew each other, and we played with each other, and we played against each other. (Recently) he actually sent me a picture it was our sophomore year and it's him shooting. And if you look into the stands, I'm sitting right there in the stands watching him play live together now so it is crazy the things he's able to do on the court, making big shots."
On his path to K-State…
"When I decided to enter the transfer portal, K-State was one of the first schools to call me and throughout the whole process they were just consistent and basically just telling me like, they needed someone like me and how they really wanted me and that I'm their guy. You know, that was something that I really appreciated how consistent they were about the whole process and how they were with me from the start (of the process). Having Coach Shane (Southwell) be from New York that that was major to as well and having that connection with him.
On if he knew assistant coach Shane Southwell before he recruited him to K-State…
"Nah, I didn't know Coach Shane (Southwell) before I came to K-State. I knew people that knew him, but I didn't know him personally."
On the differences between New York and Kansas…
"There's nothing like New York City but you know I love Manhattan in the sense that it's a smaller city where you know you got campus got the facilities, Aggieville and a lot of a lot of food places. I'm pretty simple, I just need a place to sleep, place the hoop, a place to eat, so I got three things here so I couldn't be happier."
On if he played in the parks in New York City…
"That's where I grew up. No, I didn't really know anything about college basketball. For me, it was the NBA, and all that stuff was going on at the parks and who bought the people from my neighborhood. So, you know, that's kind of where my game grew up. Where I really put in the most work is in the park spot where I used to live."
On which park was his favorite…
"I used to live on the east side and park on 96th Street and Lexington and that's the park I used to going every day I'll be there from sunup to sundown and I'll just be there hoping all day so shout out to Lexington Park."
On the learning curve to the philosophy of this team…
"I mean, of course, you know, coming from a different system and having two different head coaches in my first two years in college was going to definitely be a learning curve. I consider myself someone that's able to pick up things pretty quickly and having teammates who were here last year, and the coaching staff did a great job in summer of bringing me along, whether it was watching film or just teaching me how he wanted me to play defense and how our offense works. I feel like I'm pretty up to speed on everything right now."
On his comfort level with the guards…
"We have a great system in place where I can get easy looks and the guards make it super easy for me. I don't even have to think about trying to create for myself unless it's the end of the shot clock or something like that. At the same time, I make their job super easy because of my shooting ability whether I'm setting the screen for them. Defenders have to decide if they're going to switch, they're going to stay with the guard, they're going to come at me and if they do, we have bigs down low like Davion (Bradford) and Kaosi (Ezeagu) that can score. It just makes everyone's job easier on each other and it's just super smooth."
On the importance of the mid-range game…
"I'm someone that is known for being able to shoot threes, but I feel like my offensive game is much more versatile. I have to be able to show that side of my game because people on the scout report are going to be flying at me (from the 3-point line) so I have to be able to get to my spots whether it's making the extra pass or seeing the posts. My mid-range (game) is something that should be my bread and butter."
On when he found basketball…
"It's funny because my mom (who starred at Houston and played professionally) wasn't even the one that introduced me to basketball. I used to skateboard for the longest and then when I was about 10 or 11 years old, I started to see everybody playing basketball and that's when I started to get interested. My dad started really helping me and he was like you know if you're gonna play you got to take this serious and he was kind of the one that really taught me the game at an early age."
On his dad's background and influence on his basketball…
"My dad played in high school, but he was injured a lot (in high school). He's always someone that was around the game and watched the game and he's pretty good he actually got a lot better when he was in college. I give all the credit in the world to my dad because you know he was the one that taught me. He told me I can't just be going to the park just playing I actually got to work on my game and he's the one I give all the credit to for my jump shot. I think it was like the summer going into sixth grade that I wasn't allowed to play any games all I could do was to go to the park, and I just have to shoot form shots all day. I wasn't allowed to leave the paint just form shots after form shots. Without my dad I definitely wouldn't have the jump shot that I have today."
On when he came to the United States…
"I didn't live in Spain for too long. I probably was there like a month or two. And then, I lived in Houston for like my first six years and then when I was like six, I moved to New York."
On who is the better athlete between him and his brother Sofian (who is a quarterback at Houston)…
"We always would compete (when we were younger). We don't do it as much anymore, but when we were younger, we'd always be like I'm better athlete than you. He always would think, you know football is a lot harder if you don't play football and you're not going to go at a football player. (But he knows that) I'll cook him in basketball. He knows like it's not even a question (laughter), but definitely if we're in the weight room or something we might talk about who lifts heavier."
How to follow the 'Cats: For complete information on K-State men's basketball, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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/ Men's BasketballK-State MBB | Hang with Tang Football Edition (Season 4, Episode 2)
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